Loading arm



Feb. 7 1939. 1.. J. BIISHOP 2,145,617

LOADING ARM Filed Dec. 9; 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 11V VL r01? LEONARD J. BISHOP FG 7 BY I I v A TT RNEY s L. J. BISHOP LOADING ARM Feb. 7, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9, 1936 P we, Vm 2 N I H a m A N 0 E L FIG.4.

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES FFiCE LOADING ARM Application December 9, 1936, Serial No. 115,043

Claims.

The" present invention relates to apparatus for transferring articles from one position to another spaced therefrom, and for changing the angular relation of the article with respect to its initial position. More particularly, the invention pertains to a tiltable transfer arm which lifts a vertically disposed board or similar flat article bodily and moves it through an arcuate path to deposit the board in a horizontal position; on a support.

The specific embodiment of the invention hereinillustrated forms part of a conveying system employed for drying hides and skins. One method of drying hides or similar articles is to secure them in stretched condition on a board after which theboard and the hide attached thereto are subjected to the heat of an oven. The boards are conveyed through and from the oven in vertical position and the hides removed therefrom after being dried and while they are supported horizontally at points spaced from the oven.

One of the objects of the invention is to lift theboard while it is disposed vertically on the transfer arm and to deposit it horizontally on a; suitable support. Another object is to hold the board securely on the transfer until it has been deposited on the horizontal support and then m release the board. Other objects will be apparent from the following description of the invention, considered in connection with the attached drawings illustrating a preferred form thereof and in which Fig. l is a side, elevation of the transfer device showing; its relation to a pair of conveyors;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the transfer arm and board releasing means;

Fig. 4 isa section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the oscillating mechanism showing means for stopping the transfer device.

the drawings there are shown a main conveyor l0 and transfer conveyor II, the former adapted to move a plurality of boards disposed horizontally thereon to permit hides to be attached to the boards and the latter having a frame associated therewith to guide the boards vertically while being moved towards the transfer device indicated generally at 12. At the forward end of the main conveyor frame I3 are a plurality of supports [4 on which a board is deposited in horizontal relation thereto by the transfer' device, and from which it is lifted-by (CIL' 198 27) suitable means (not shown) to be positioned horizontally on the main conveyor.

The transfer device comprises a generally L- shaped member l5 of box-like formation in cross section, and rigidly connected to a tubular bear- 5 ing portion I'B journaled on the shaft H, the latter being fixed with respect to frame l3. Secured to and projecting from portion i6 is an arm Hi. disposed angularly to the lower leg of the transfer arm. Fast on shaft 19 are a crank 29, motor 2 l, and solenoid brake 22. Connecting rod 23 is pivotally connected at one end to crank and. at its other end to arm 18. It will there fore be apparent that the transfer arm will be oscillated about the shaft ll upon rotation of motor 2!.

Secured to the transfer arm by any suitable means is a channel-shaped guide member 24 in which are journaled a plurality of rollers 25 designed to support a rectangular board 26 of the type used in hide dryingoperations. The guide and rollers permit the board to be moved edgewise on to the transfer arm from. end conveyor H, the flanges of the guide projecting sufficiently above the rollers to hold the board from lateral movement.

To properly locate the board when it has been transferred to the transfer arm, means is provided for yieldably engaging a positioning notch formed at the lower end of the board. Also, 30 means is provided engageable with a vertical end of theboard for yieldably positioning the board to register a notch with the means engageable therein. In detail, each board has the transverse flange I at its upper and lower ends and these flanges are formed with the notches 2. 3 is a spring-urged latch pivotally mounted upon the guide member 24 and having a beveled nose engageable in a notch 2, the movement of the nose into the notch being preferably limited by'the 4O stop 4' upon the guide member and engageable with the latch. The ends of the flanges I are beveled, so that when a board is being transferred to the arm the forward end of the lower flange engageable with the latch moves the nose of the latter outwardly, thereby permitting the board to be completely transferred. In the event that the board is movedforward too great an extent by the transfer conveyor, the forward end of the board engages a positioning member which is yieldably held in a predetermined position, such that after the transfer conveyor becomes disengaged from the board the latter is moved backwardly to register a notch with the positioning latch. The positioning member, as shown,

comprises the plate 5 engageable with the forward end of the board, the plunger 6 carrying the plate and slidably engaging the support 1, the spring 8 between the plate and the support, and the nut 9 threaded on the plunger and adapted to abut the support. The nut determines the normal position of the plate and consequently the normal position of the board on the transfer arm.

At the upper end of the arm there is pivoted on pin 21 a retaining plate 28 having a flange 29 depending therefrom a suflicient distance to prevent the board from falling from the arm. It will be noted that one end of the plate is flared at 29' to facilitate positioning of the board as it approaches engaging relation with the arm. The plate has a rearwardly extending portion 30 pivotally connected to yoke 3i threaded on upright rods 32. The latter is normally urged to tilt plate 28 by a spring one end of which abuts collar 34 fixed to the rod and its other end bears against plate 35 on the arm.

Fixed to frame is is an adjustable stop 3'? against which the lower end of rod 32 abuts when the arm is in the position shown in Fig. 3. Pivoted at 38 within the arm is a lever 39, one end of which is connected to rod 32. The other end of the lever is provided with a flange li! adapted to engage finger ti on latch lever 35. The latter member is pivoted in the arm at 32 and is normally forced into engagement with lever 39 by spring i3. It will thus be seen that, so long as lever 36 is in position to hold rod 32 in elevated relation to the arm, flange 29 on retaining plate 28 is lowered to hold the board on the arm.

When the transfer is rocked by the oscillating mechanism the board is elevated and swung over supports it. Lever 36, the forward end of which is inclined at at, then engages a roller fixed on frame 53 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. At this time the latch lever is retracted and since rod 32 is no longer in engagement with abutment 31, it is moved by spring The retaining plate and its flange 29 are consequently rocked to release the board and remain in releasing position until the transfer arm returns to the position shown in full lines. When rod 32 again engages abutment 3?, the rod is lifted and flange 4E3 rides under finger iii to latch the mechanism. The arm is then in position to receive another board from the end conveyor.

In addition to the retaining plate and guide channels 25, further guide means are provided at the rear side of the board adjacent the upper end of the arm. These guides comprise spaced rollers d5 mounted on arms ll secured to the transfer arm.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a switch 48 adapted to control motor 2! and brake 22. It will be seen that crank 26 has at its free end a cam portion 39 adapted to open switch 38, whereupon motor 2| is stopped and brake 22 applied to shaft 19. The motor is started by means on the main conveyor drive and after cam 59 passes switch '38, the latter controls the motor circuit, the starting means being operable only at the beginning of motor operation. The oscillating means is so timed with respect to the main conveyor that the latter operates continuously and the transfer arm is rocked periodically so that the arm is stationary while a board is being positioned thereon.

While a preferred embodiment of the apparatus has been shown and its operation described in connection with respect to a particular field, it is to be understood that changes may be made without departing from the invention as claimed, and that the mechanism is applicable to other uses.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination with a horizontal support, a transfer mechanism comprising an oscillatable arm, means for positioning a member thereon, a movable holding element adapted to engage an edge of said member to hold said member on said arm, a spring for moving said holding element out of engagement with the member, latch means for retaining said element in member holding position, means for rocking said arm to position the member horizontally on said support, and means associated with said support for releasing said latch means to deposit said member on said support.

2. Transfer mechanism of the class described comprising an oscillatable arm, means carried by said arm for holding an article thereon, means for oscillating said arm continuously throughout a complete cycle, means for releasing the article at one limit of the oscillation of said arm, means for braking said oscillating means, and means carried by the arm oscillating means for actuating said braking means only when the arm is at the other limit of its oscillation.

3. Mechanism for transferring a member, comprising a transfer arm adapted to receive the member upon movement thereof over said transfer arm in a direction transverse to the direction of oscillation of said arm, and a latch upon said transfer arm engageable with the member to hold the latter in a predetermined transverse position relative to the transfer arm.

4. Mechanism for transferring a member, comprising a transfer arm adapted to receive the member upon movement thereof over said transfer arm, means in the path of movement of said member and engageable with one end of the member for normally positioning the same in predetermined relation to said transfer arm, and means engageable with the member for holding the same in its predetermined relation.

5. Mechanism for transferring a member, comprising a transfer arm adapted to receive the memberupon movement thereof over said transfer arm, yieldably urged means adapted to engage and position the member in a predetermined relation to said transfer arm, and a latch upon said transfer arm engageable with the member to hold the same in its predetermined relation.

6. Mechanism for transferring a member comprising an oscillatable arm, a dog for holding the member on said arm, a latch cooperating with the dog to hold said dog in engagement with the member, means arranged to engage the latch at a predetermined point in the oscillation of said arm to move the dog out of engagement with the member, and an abutment arranged to return the dog to member holding position at another point in the oscillation of said arm.

7. Mechanism for transferring a member com prising an oscillatable arm, a dog for holding the member on said arm, means including a spring for moving said dog out of engagement with said member, means normally rendering said first mentioned means inoperative, means engaging said last mentioned means and permitting said first mentioned means to move said dog out of engagement with said member at a predetermined point in the oscillation of said arm, and means for oscillating said arm.

8, Mechanism for transferring a member comprising an oscillatable-arm, a dogfor holding the member on said arm, a spring for moving said dog out of engagement with the member, a latch normally holding said spring inoperative, means arranged to engage the latch at a predetermined point in the oscillation of said arm to cause said latch to release the spring, thereby allowing the latter to move the dog out of engagement with the member, and means for oscillating said arm.

9. Mechanism for transferring a member comprising an oscillatable arm, means for holding the member on said arm, a latch normally holding said means in member holding position, means engaging said latch at one point in the oscillation of said arm to release the member, an abutment for moving said first mentioned means in the opposite direction at another point in the oscillation of said arm to return said first mentioned means to operative holding position, and means for oscillating said arm.

10. Transfer mechanism of the class described comprising an oscillatable arm, a prime mover, a crank arm rotated in one direction by said prime mover, a connecting rod connecting said .crank arm and said oscillatable arm to rock the latter, means carried by said arm for holding an article on said oscillatable arm, means for releasing the article at one limit of the oscillation of said oscillatable arm, means for braking the prime mover, and means on said crank arm for actuating said braking means only when the arm is at the other limit of its oscillation.

11. Mechanism for transferring an article comprising an oscillatable arm, a pivoted retaining member for holding the article on said arm, linkage connected to said pivoted retaining member, a latch supported upon said arm and normally engageable with said linkage to maintain the pivoted retaining member in article holding position, a spring associated with said linkage for moving said retaining member out of engagement with the article, means arranged to engage the latch at a predetermined point in the oscillation of said arm to cause said latch to release said linkage, thereby allowing the spring to move said retaining member out of engagement with the article, and means for oscillating said arm.

12. Mechanism for transferring an article comprising an oscillatable arm, a pivoted retaining member for holding the article on said arm, linkage connected to said pivoted retaining member, a latch supported upon said arm and normally engageable with said linkage to maintain the pivoted retaining member in article holding position,

a spring associated with said linkage for moving said retaining member out of engagement with the article, means arranged to engage the latch at a predetermined point in the oscillation of said arm to cause said latch to release said linkage, thereby allowing the spring to move said retaining member out of engagement with the article, an abutment arranged to engage said linkage at another point in the oscillation of said arm to reengage said latch with said linkage and to return the retaining member to article holding position, and means for oscillating said arm.

13. Mechanism for transferring an article comprising an oscillatable arm, means for moving an article in a direction transverse to the direction of oscillation of said arm, a yieldably urged member in the path of movement of the article adapted to engage and position the article in a predetermined transverse position relative to the oscillatable arm, and a yieldably urged latch on i said oscillatable arm engageable with the article to hold the same in its predetermined transverse position.

14. In combination, a first transfer mechanism for supporting a flat member horizontally thereon, a second transfer mechanism for supporting the flat member vertically thereon, an oscillatable arm movable between horizontal and vertical positions thereof, means.- on said arm and movable over the peripheral edge of said fiat member for engaging and transferring said fiat member from one to the other of said transfer mechanisms when said arm is oscillated, means for withdrawing said member engaging means to permit passage thereof over said peripheral edge of the member, means for moving the engaging means past said peripheral edge to engage a portion of the member Within said peripheral edge at one limit of oscillation of the arm, said member being released at the other limit of oscillation of the arm.

15. A transfer mechanism comprising a pivoted arm, means for oscillating said arm between horizontal and vertical positions thereof, a reciprocable clamp on said arm, means for moving said clamp into article gripping position when the arm it at one limit of its oscillation, means for holding said clamp in gripping position during oscillation of the arm, and means for releasing said clamp when the arm is at the other limit of its oscillation.

LEONARD J. BISHOP. 

